Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism in the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander honored the country’s Jewish community by attending a ceremony marking the 350th anniversary of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam.
About 400 members of the Portuguese-Jewish community, whose roots in the city date back to the 16th century, joined Tuesday's event. The king sat near the ark containing the Torah scrolls, and at one point stood with the crowd as they recited a prayer for the State of Israel and the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces in both Hebrew and Dutch.
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Dutch king stands next to the ark holding the Torah scrolls
(Photo: Photo: Courtesy of Yosef A. Yair Juha Engel)
The synagogue, which has no electricity, was illuminated by hundreds of candles for the evening’s program, which included a concert. The cantor led prayers in the Portuguese liturgical tradition, and the choir performed Jewish hymns unique to the historic synagogue.
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The Dutch King joined the Jewish community in marking the 350th year of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam
(Photo: Photo: Courtesy of Yosef A. Yair Juha Engel)
At the close of the ceremony, the king was the first to leave the sanctuary, retreating to a side room where he spoke with representatives of the Jewish community.
No references were made during the event to the war in Gaza or to the recent increase in antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands.